Research progress on miR-122 as a novel biomarker of liver injury

ALT and AST are the most widely used biochemical markers of liver injury clinically. However, the elevated ALT and AST serum levels are known in some other diseases, which reduces the clinical diagnostic value. Therefore, miR-122, which is a highly specific expression in liver tissue and has good stability in peripheral blood, represents a novel and specific biochemical marker of liver injury. The research progress of miR-122 as a novel biochemical marker for liver damage diagnosis is reviewed in this article. Key words: Alanine transaminase; Aspartate transaminase; miR-122; Liver injury